Sucks to be Single Day
by BlueMyst19
Summary: As a freshman in college and single, all Sam wanted for VDay was to curl up with a big box of chocolate. Too bad Danny has other plans. Of course, with Elliot around, it's likely everyone's plans will get botched. Even Tuck and Jazz's. DS, tiny TJ oneshot


**Sucks to be Single Day**

**It's fragmented. I know it is. So don't tell me. It's called postmodernism. Deal with it. XP **

**Dedicated to Chaos Dragon, cuz yeah. She's cool like that XD**

For once in her life, Sam Manson was happy that it was Valentine's Day. Normally, the barrage of red and assault of pink hearts was almost more than she could stand. On top of the absolute pressure to "be" with someone, there was Tucker prancing around like he'd been stuck down by a herd of giggling cherubim and resurrected in the form of some deformed teenage cupid. On top of all that was Danny. Danny and his stupid crush on stupid Paullina.

Every Valentine's Day he would ask her out and every Valentine's Day, she turned him down. Although, he got less and less disappointed with her rejection of him as high school wore on, it was still annoying to Sam that the only reason she ever had any "V-day" plans was because her best friends had been turned down by all the girls of their choice.

But now, as freshmen in college, Valentine's Day didn't seem as bad. The halls of her dorm and the lecture halls did not look as though they'd been vomited upon by a party store, unlike the halls of Casper High. Tucker was dating Jazz (much to Danny's annoyance), so he would not be chasing after anything that had breasts, lest he wish to suffer the wrath of his beloved. And it didn't seem as though Danny would be concocting some ridiculous plan to get Paullina to go out with him this year. Sam smiled at that.

Maybe she'd be able to just spend a quiet evening alone, curled up with a box of chocolate and a good book, like she _wanted_ to, instead of consoling the love of her life as he cried over another woman.

She didn't really know what Danny's plans were this year. He was being very secretive about everything.

Dressed tastefully in dark jeans, sneakers, and a black and purple shirt, Sam made her way to the cafeteria, looking forward to getting something to eat.

"Hey, Sammy!" Danny caught Sam off guard, by seeming to pop out of nowhere. He looped his arm around her neck and gave her a fast peck on the cheek.

Sam's eyes widened. "What's with you?" She asked, regaining her composure. "Danny, you didn't go and get drunk again, did you?"

"No," he answered, his smile faltering for only one second, "I thought we both agreed that alcohol and ghost powers were a bad mix and that I'm DD from now on, yeah?"

Sam smiled. "Yeah. So then what has gotten into you?"

Danny's grin only widened. "Nothing. It's just a beautiful day."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Come on, Ghost-boy, I know you better than that. What's up?"

"Nothing," Danny said coyly, "I just have a very special night planned for a very special someone," he winked pointedly at her. "How 'bout you? Any special V-day plans?"

"As a matter of fact… I have a hot date lined up for tonight," Tucker suddenly appeared on Sam's other side.

"Tucker…" Danny growled.

"What? 'S not my fault your sister's so fine, Danny."

"Tucker," Sam began, "you'd better quit while your head's still attached to your neck."

"Right."

"Anyway," Danny started pointedly, "what're _your_ plans, Sam?"

Sam smirked. "A very, very, very large box of gourmet Swiss chocolate and a good book in my dorm, alone."

"But it's Valentine's Day!" Tucker protested.

"Yeah," Danny agreed, "you can't be alone on Valentine's Day, Sam!"

"Well, I don't care what anyone says. I'm looking forward to it. This is the first year I won't have to spend playing nurse to you two and your broken hearts. All of us have dates, mine just happens to be with a delicious cocoa confection." Sam's eyes glazed over at the thought of the red heart-shaped cardboard box waiting in her dorm room. True, it would be nice to have someone to share it with, especially if that someone were Danny, but Sam wasn't going to get her hopes up. In five years, Danny hadn't given her any hint that he felt the same way as she did, and she wasn't planning on holding her breath forever for him.

Danny and Tucker looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Sam, you know, if you want, you can hang out with me and Jazz," Tucker offered.

Sam laughed. "No way! I'm not gonna be anybody's third wheel. I'm spending this Valentine's Day alone and that is exactly how I WANT to spend it. You have fun with Jazz, Tucker," she caught the receiving end of Danny's glare, "but er… not too much fun."

"You don't really want to be alone on Valentines Day, do you Sammy?" Danny asked, peering into her eyes with baby blue innocence.

"As a matter of fact, I do," she answered.

Tucker smirked smugly. "I know what the problem is. Nobody asked her out."

The first thought that ran through Danny's head was _"Good."_ He didn't want to have to hunt someone down on Valentine's Day. On the other hand, he could even see how that was possible. How could Sam, one of the most beautiful and talked-about girls on campus not have been asked out? Danny grinned. All the better for him, he supposed.

Sam stuck her tongue out at Tucker, who blew a raspberry back at her. "Not that it's any of your business, Tuck, but I _was_ asked out for tonight. Several times in fact. I turned them all down. So there."

"Who asked you out?" was Danny's immediate response.

"Just a couple guys in my classes. Two girls from my dorm."

"Awww, come on, Sam," Tucker whined, "not fair putting images like that in my head!"

Sam grinned wickedly. "Hey, you're the pervert here, not me. And if you're not nice to me, I'll tell Jazz."

"No way! You wouldn't! Come on, Sam, you're not cruel! I'm a guy! I'm an animal! You like animals, don't you Sam?" Tucker pleaded.

"I don't even want to contemplate how wrong that just sounded," Danny interjected. He had to admit that some part of him was upset when Sam and Tucker flirted, even though Tucker was very committed to Jazz and both of them really only viewed each other as siblings. It was the fact that they were so easy around each other that bothered him. Danny wanted that with Sam.

Sam smiled to herself as she pushed open the door to the cafeteria. Danny and Tucker. Her boys. Destined to never grow up, but she loved them all the same. She just wondered how Danny would react if she told him that she loved him in a completely different way from Tucker. She shook her head as the trio got in line. It was best not to think about it, especially on "Sucks to Be Single Day" as she had taken to calling it in high school.

The day passed rather uneventfully for Sam and Tucker, but Danny was on pins and needles all day. He could only hope that Sam didn't _really_ mean what she said about wanting to be alone. She was his best friend, he knew when she really wanted to be alone and when she didn't. And today seemed more like the latter, despite what she kept insisting.

He'd thought of taking the easy way out and letting her be alone, like she said she wanted. She'd unknowingly made it incredibly tempting for him to chicken out of what he'd been planning since January. But Danny wasn't going to chicken out anymore. He'd wanted to see if his crush on Sam would survive high school before making any move, and it had not only survived, but it had grown. Danny could now freely admit (to himself, when he was totally and completely alone) that he was in love with Sam.

It was time to do something about it. So whether she liked it or not, Sam was not going to be alone on Valentine's Day.

That evening, around seven o'clock, after a very unsuccessful day of learning and a very successful day of thinking of all the things he could do with Sam and a box of Swiss chocolate, Danny disembarked from the elevator on Sam's floor. He took a deep breath and checked to make sure that he hadn't wrinkled the red button-up shirt he'd worked so hard to iron. It was tucked into a pair of dark blue jeans, which Danny had made absolutely sure were clean. All in all, he had to say he didn't look half-bad.

He could do this. He could so totally do this. He smiled down that the big bouquet of roses in his hands. He could do this.

Slowly and as steadily as he could manage, he made his way down the hall to Sam's dorm. He was just about to round the corner that would lead to her door when he heard a very familiar voice. Danny froze in place, against the wall and listened carefully.

"Hi!" came Sam's happy exclamation, "Elliot…" her voice trailed off. Danny assumed she didn't want anyone to hear her.

"Hey Sammy, you ready to go?"

Danny felt his heart crack in two. It was as if the whole building had suddenly come down on him. Sam had had a date for Valentine's Day all along, with Elliot the lying scumbag, no less. That was why she hadn't wanted to tell him and Tucker, she knew they wouldn't approve and would try to talk her out of it. Danny bit back the tears that pricked painfully at the corners of his eyes.

He turned around and walked briskly back to the elevator, tears falling into the flowers whose stems he was now mangling with his hands. He should have known. How could she not have a date? She was so beautiful and smart and cool and beautiful and funny and amazing and beautiful… Danny fought hard with himself not to sob. It was bad enough that tears were already streaming down his face, he didn't need to start sobbing too.

Upon reaching the outside, the crisp February night nipped at his skin almost painfully and he sorely wished he'd remembered a coat, but he'd just been so excited. He sat down on a bench, not having any energy to go any farther. All of his careful planning, the picnic on the roof, the flowers, the note cards, the- he sighed. The flowers fell to their death in his lap and looking mournfully up at the sky, Danny cried.

At seven that night, Sam was finally back in her dorm, cozying herself in her bed. The book she intended to read that night was resting on top of the big box of chocolates. Sam licked her lips. The thing had been tantalizing her thoughts all day.

Just as she was about to tear into it, a knock sounded on her door. Her heart started pounding in her chest, a strange sensation of hope thrilled her. She immediately tried to quash it, but something in her gut told her that the person outside her door was Danny. Her mind chided her, telling her that even if it was him, he was probably just there to continue their long-standing tradition of coming to her after he got his heart broken.

Deciding to hope for the best, she opened to door, ready for anything. "Hi D-" she cut herself off. Instead of the person she most wanted to see standing before her, there was the one she wanted to see the least, "Elliot," she finished irately.

"Hey, Sammy, you ready to go?" He asked, a greasy smile on his face.

"I already told you, I'm not going to go out with you. Ever. And don't call me Sammy."

"Why not? You let that loser Fenton call you Sammy."

"Danny is NOT a loser, he's my best friend. I've known him since we were eight years old. Now go away," Sam tried to shut the door on him, but he jammed his foot in her way. She reeled the door back and smashed his foot. "Go away," she said more firmly.

Elliot ignored the searing pain in his foot and continued, "Aw, come on, Sammy, you aren't gonna wait around forever for Fenton, are you?"

Sam huffed. "GO AWAY or I'm calling the police."

Deciding that Sam wasn't worth getting arrested over, Elliot left.

Sam sighed and retreated back to her bed. She should have known better than to get her hopes up. She gazed wistfully out her window. It was completely cloudless that night and she almost wished that there were clouds, so that it would rain on any happy couple that happened to be outside. Scanning the sky, something enormous and green caught her eye. How had she not seen that before?

Painted in green ectoplasm, hovering just above the building were most of her classes were held, were the words "I love you, Sam."

Sam's first reaction was shock. It couldn't possibly have been Danny, _her_ Danny who wrote that. Anger prickled at her. Would he really be so cruel as to come up with an elaborate trick like that? No. Not Danny. Danny was sweet and sincere and would never intentionally hurt anybody, not like that. He was probably hovering out there somewhere, with a hopeful look on his face, waiting for her to notice him. A smile that was all too big for her plastered itself to her face. She couldn't wait to find him and tell him that she returned his feelings.

Looking around, she expected him to be in Phantom mode, hovering near his handiwork, but where she did find him made her frown. He was sitting on a bench, in human mode, a bouquet in his lap and his shoulders were shaking.

It dawned on Sam that he must have come up and heard Elliot, and of course, Danny being the dolt he was, he'd gotten the wrong idea. She shook her head, but still couldn't help but smile.

Danny was about ready to leave. Or rather, to give up and go back to his dorm room and wallow for the rest of the night. Scratch that. For the rest of his life. He'd waited too long and now he had lost the only girl he'd ever really loved to a lying, cheating dirt bag. He wiped his eyes and tried to stand, but his whole body felt leaden.

By the time Sam had gotten changed and rushed outside, Danny was already gone. Sam kicked at the ground dejectedly. She should have just run after him in her pajamas and damn the consequences of the frosty February air. Sighing, she began the short walk over to Danny and Tucker's dorm. Her parents had insisted she stay in an all girls dorm, while Danny and Tucker ended up as roommates in a coed dorm.

The elevator was taking too long, so Sam made a break for the stairs. Fortunately, Tucker and Danny only lived on the third floor and years of chasing ghosts had put Sam in top physical condition.

"DANNY!" She screamed, pounding on their door. "OPEN UP! Come on! Danny! PLEASE!"

She continued assailing the door for about three minutes, even going so far as to kick it, before a very annoyed Tucker opened the door, clad only in his boxers and looking more than a little ruffled.

"He's. Not. Here," Tucker told her through gritted teeth.

Sam's face broke into a smirk when she caught a glimpse of red hair beyond the door. "Are you sure?" She asked cheekily.

"Yes, I'm sure, now go away before I kill you."

Sam laughed and gave Tucker a quick pointed look, "Be safe, Tuck, I'd hate to have to tell Danny you knocked up his sister," and she laughed even more maniacally as she walked away.

"You're a dead woman, Sam!" Tucker shouted before slamming the door.

Sam giggled evilly to herself, realizing that she had probably enjoyed that a little more than she should have, but now it was over and she had to get back to the task at hand.

"Sam!"

She whipped around upon hearing her name, turning to see a smiling, blushing, ruffled Jazz poking her head out of the doorway. "Yeah?"

"Check the roof."

Sam smiled, "Thanks Jazz."

"Jazz, get back in here!" Tucker whined from inside the dorm.

"Coming, yeesh!" She responded cheekily, "Good luck, Sam."

Sam smiled as she bounded up the stairs, two at a time to the roof. She smiled more when she pushed open the door and saw a big blue blanket spread out with a picnic basket, candles, the whole nine yards… and Danny's back, his knees obviously huddled up to his chest and his head resting resignedly on them. The ectoplasmic declaration of love hung still in the air in front of him. Sam stood there for a moment, freezing the adorable image in her memory forever.

She tiptoed carefully over to him and stood silently in front of him for a moment, noticing that he appeared to be very upset. "I got your message," she said finally.

Danny looked up to see Sam, pointing at the green letters that were still hanging in the sky. She looked so pretty, all dressed up in a short black and red cotton dress, while a layer of apple-red lipstick covered her lips. It wasn't very fancy, but she looked stunning. Danny nodded sadly in response to her question and then turned away. He had to remember that she was dressed up for another man.

Sam sat down next to Danny and snuggled herself against him, looping his left arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong, Danny?"

"Why are you here, Sam? Isn't Gregor or Elliot or whatever his name is this week waiting for you?" Danny demanded bitterly. "What did you tell him? That you'd be right back, you just had to go let that loser over there down gently? You LIED, Sam."

"Danny, I don't have a date with Elliot. If you'd waited ten seconds, you would have heard me kicking him out. I didn't lie. He asked me out and I turned him down, just like I said."

"You- you did?" Danny met her violet eyes with hopeful blue ones.

"Yes, you idiot," Sam smiled up at him, "I wanted to spend Valentine's Day-"

"Alone, I know. With your chocolate."

Sam laughed. "Well, yes, but only because I didn't think that the person I really wanted to be with would want to spend it with me," she said almost shyly.

"Who would that be?" Danny asked warily. In his mind he prayed that the next word out of her mouth would be "you," but it seemed almost too much to hope for.

"You, you clueless, clueless boy," Sam kissed him on the cheek. Danny silently thanked God and sighed happily. "I love you too, Danny," she whispered in his ear.

Danny turned as red as his shirt and pecked her quickly on the lips. Content and relief flooded through him, washing away any doubt and despair that might have been left over. "You're beautiful, Sammy, I hope you know that."

Sam blushed and turned her attention to the flowers that lay on Danny's right side. "Are those for me?"

Danny laughed shakily. "Well… they were, but… I kinda destroyed them. You don't want them now."

"Daniel James Fenton, if you bought me flowers then I damn well would like to receive them."

Danny sheepishly handed them to her and watched her smile at them for a minute before she returned to her place under his arm.

Sam looked up at him and smiled broadly, "That was a pretty gutsy thing you did, you know?"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks…" Danny kissed her cheek.

She pecked him on the lips in response, "Of course now the whole campus is gonna wonder what ghost is fixated on me…"

Danny looked at her softly for a moment. "This one is of course," he answered before kissing her again. "Happy Sucks to be Single Day, Sam."

**-dies of the corniness- Please don't kill me. It's just fluff. You like fluff, right? I know this is CHEESE. This is beyond cheese. It's beyond corn. It's so gross I nearly made myself puke writing it. Especially the end, but I hope it at least made you smile, if only at the lameness of it.**

**Please review!**


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